(T) Running hot - start of a bigger problem?

OK, had my Cinq Sporting for 4 years or so now, use it for nipping round town to work, shopping etc so got to know it's habits pretty well by now.

Always starts and runs smoothly but lately noticed a bit of a hesitation when around 2-2500rpm and try to speed up; never too bothered as you kinda drive round it really.

Yesterday I went a good run on open roads, first time out of town and properly warm for a bit and noticed temperature hovering around 85-90 most of the time, though was around 95 in a 40mph roadworks section.

Today I took it out of town again and had same temperatures, never above 95 when rolling. Once when pulling from a roundabout it bogged down and spluttered back through the airbox which it's never done, stopped for a while shortly after and was OK on the way home. Still seems to have it's full performance and pulls cleanly other than the aforementioned hesitation.

Let tick over once home, sure enough the fan was coming in but seemed to be fighting a losing battle, would cut out and in, finally chickened when gauge up to around 105 degress, NEVER been that high.

Oil and water seem OK, no white stuff in engine oil or filler cap. The ONLY noises it's developed lately are a faint metallic rattling which seems to come from the distributor area on tickover (but nothing in there moves, does it?!!) and a rattle from the exhaust which sounds like baffles in the backbox (Fiat and only 12 months old!).

Sorry for the long thread, looked at the FAQ's but doesn't SEEM to point immediately to head-gasket. Has had a new water-pump (leaked) and thermostat last winter (not getting warmed up) so they're probably covered.

Any help much appreciated.

How old is the rad?

When was the full system flushed out? maybe when thermostat was fitted, as you should change the coolant every couple of years even if its the pink 5 year cycle stuff, keeps it all fresh.

If the rad is full of silt etc its efficiency will have dropped dramatically, so may recover with a good flush out, or may need replaced as they don't last forever.

Aaron.

I'd do as above first.

But I wonder if either the catalyst or the exhaust is breaking up and temporarly blocking the exhaust?

Dunno what you mean by "the distrubutor area".

When did you last change the air filter?

Cyl no 4 end / coil end Id think.

The place where on a Distributor driven ignition system that a distributor and rotor arm sits.

What happens when you turn the heater on to full/hot in the car, does it drain heat from the engine at all and make teh temperature go down? Like arron says, sounds like the radiator isnt doing its job correctly. If you havnt had many problems in the past 4 years then its time you had one lol - we have to contend with them! Only kidding, fiats are just are reliable as any other car on the road if not more but every car has its fair share of problems have a look at the state of the radiator e.g. is there alot of fins bent? is it rusting badly anywhere? if so, i would flush then buy a new radiator.

Jordan

i had similar problems mate!
changed the radiator, fan switch (now controlled independently) flushed the system and bled it but.........
mine sit STILL seems to hover round the 90-100 mark NOT GOOD!!

Oh & BiZZarley when it turn my heater on to full it'l jump 5 degrees UP?? from say 90-95 or worse!!

I'd defo look at the rad!! they seem to conk out after say 6 years or so!

but any ideas what i do now guys???

Thanks for messages so far folks.

TBH the radiator will be original and was on my list of suspects.

Air filter only replaced in January as part of self-done service so know it WAS done.

Putting the heater and blower on full also causes the temperature to actually RISE but putting them back off again drops it below what it was... Then it creeps up again.

And finally the exhaust and or catalyst. Well since posting we've been out for a little run again and I have to say that this time there is a definite loss of performance, I had wondered about the cat breaking up too.

So, radiator or cat, neither cheap . I think I'll keep using it locally for a few days first, keep and eye on those temps and seen if anything else becomes obvious. I used to work in a Fiat dealer years ago but still know the lads so it might be worth plugging it into the ECU reader-thingy. Also do an emmissions test which should tell if cat was U/S?

I would first want to make sure that I wasn't chasing phantoms. I had some trouble with the temperature sender wire shorting to the block, causing the guage to read high.

To check the radiator and thermostat, I would start the engine from cold. Leave it ticking over and the radiator should stay cold until the temperature is near normal.

If the radiator warms up as the enginw warms up, the thermostat is stuck.

When the temperature gets to normal, the whole radiator should get hot in a few seconds as the thermostat opens.

If only part of the radiator warms up, it is blocked. It may be possible to flush it.

If the temperature rises when the heater is open, then its probably air in the system causing the problem. Make sure its bled.

Cheers

D

[quote=YELLOWCINQUECENTOOFPERIL]
mine sit STILL seems to hover round the 90-100 mark NOT GOOD!!
[quote]

90 degrees to 110 is the ideal range for any engine to be running at to be efficient. You think you have temperature problems, I had to drive 100+miles at 115/120 degrees limping home from MAX Power Live

Checked to ensure fully bled yesterday and to my understanding it seems OK.

I'm really beginning to wonder whether there IS a problem or whether it's just been the extreme heat. Temp seems to actually remain just under 80 degrees until you start pottering at slow speed, stop and start.

Only then does it rise above 90 and the fan come on and off; once you get moving again it runs just under 90 and will go back to 80 if you get on the open road for 2-3 minutes.

So I think I'll just monitor it for now and keep a good eye on the levels etc. Will let you all know if anything crops up, for the benefit of experience shared.

By the way, can anybody tell me what happened to GSR, I don't come on here looking so much now and they seem to have gone undercover; still exist but not where they were and no website, or is there?

[quote=SkinzCinqSproting][quote=YELLOWCINQUECENTOOFPERIL]
mine sit STILL seems to hover round the 90-100 mark NOT GOOD!!
Not many cars, and TBH i don't know of any or have driven any that drive at those temps, 90-95 tops is normal, anything above 100 and i think theres something worng with the car, thats why the fan stat is set to come on at 93 and off at 88 on a cinq, tho on mine its 88-83 as have low temp Punto GT/Diesel fan switch and my fan is rarely on except in traffic as on normal driving it sits about 80ish, which funnily enough so does my integrale with oil about teh same unless pushed on when it will rise to about 100-110.

I would think there is something seriously wrong with your car if it ran that hot, i personnaly wouldn't have driven it at all that hot, never mind 100miles.

Aaron.

.

I had no choice but to drive it, there was no way I was sitting around in some service station and paying a **** load of money to get towed home. I don't know about you but my priorities are getting home first, car second.

That's an expensive concept. rather you than me..

It may seem expensive but when you've no money on you or in your bank driving it home seemed the lesser of two evils compared to a big recovery bill.